NationStates Jolt Archive

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The United Federation of Interstellar Planets was formed some three hundred years ago by four founding member worlds: New Eden, Novus Romulus, Elaria and Andoriana. Combining several dozen small colony worlds and other outposts with these four member worlds, the Federation encompasses an area of the Milky Way some four hundred lightyears across. Primarily thanks to the widespread proliferation of matter replication technology, the Federation is somewhat unique in that it operates a moneyless economy, although all citizens receive a stipend of Federation credits for dealing with foreign economies.



~ Stellar Cartography ~

Much of Federation space is centred around the capital world New Eden, also known as New Earth colloquially, with the other founding member worlds all being located within sixty or seventy lightyears of this politically important system. The bulk of Federation space is located in the Perseus arm of the Milky way, roughly thirty thousand lightyears away from the galactic core.

New Eden system

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/MattLever/Interstellar%20Planets/new-eden-small.jpg ( http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/MattLever/Interstellar%20Planets/new-eden-small.jpg )

As the capital system of the Federation, the New Eden system is the most important of all the member worlds, politically, strategically and economically. The capital world of the Federation is the second planet in orbit of a main sequence G2V type yellow dwarf star, named Eden, estimated to be four and a half billion years old, which has a temperature of 5,700 K and whose mass consists of 82% hydrogen and 17% helium, with trace amounts of other gasses. The star orbits the centre of the galaxy at a distance of thirty thousand lightyears, and completes one orbit in two hundred and seventy-five million years at a speed of 250km/s.

Eden I is a small, rocky, K-class planet with a single D-class moon located about 0.6 astronomical units away from the Eden star. Consisting of mostly heavy metals and having a thin atmosphere, the planet is being considered for terraforming and is already the subject of extensive mining expeditions. This planet is home to several important starbases and the Viridis Ager Shipyard facilities, and as such is heavily defended.

Eden II, officially named New Eden and colloquially named New Earth, is a lush M-class world much like Earth, with the exception that over 80% of its surface is covered by water, and it is located precisely 1.0 astronomical units from the main star. New Eden is home to millions of native animal species and has a diverse ecosystem, with all of the common climates being found across its three continents. Humans are the predominant sentient race living on the planet, with almost four billion inhabitants as of writing, although they are not native to the world. Several million aliens also reside on the world, mostly member species of the Federation. As the capital world of the Federation, dozens of orbital spacedocks, weapons platforms and shipyards – including the sprawling New Eden Shipyards facility – can be found in orbit, and two large fleets of starships are always stationed nearby.

Eden III is a rocky Class-L planet located 1.8 astronomical units from the main star, and is roughly 12% smaller than New Eden, with a thin carbon dioxide atmosphere. Although naturally inhospitable, Eden III is roughly half-way through an intensive terraforming program, which is expected to be completed in ten years. Numerous small colonies already exist in enclosed environments, and mining is quite intensive.

Eden IV is a large Class-J gas giant located some 12 astronomical units away from the Eden star. It is 150,000km in diameter, and its massive gravity well has successfully trapped nine moons, one of which is Class-L and inhabited by a human terraforming expedition. With an atmosphere mostly consisting of hydrogen, other gasses such as helium, ammonia and silicon-based compounds can also be found, although as one delves deeper into the lower atmosphere these gasses become liquid. Due to its high hydrogen composition the planet is harvested extensively for deuterium, as well as other important elements and compounds, by specialised gas harvesting craft with shields designed to resist the intense gravity of the planet and its turbulent atmosphere. Eden IV Space Station is located in a high orbit of the world, and is tasked with a large variety of duties.

Novus Romulus system

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One of the founding worlds of the Federation, Novus Romulus was settled at roughly the same time as New Eden by a group of Romulan refugees. In orbit around an F4V white dwarf, with a temperature of some 6,200 K, Novus Romulus is almost 1.6 astronomical units away and it is the only planet in the system. With a high carbon dioxide content in its atmosphere it is a surprisingly warm world considering its distance from the Novus Romulus star, although it is still quite cool compared to some more hospitable worlds, with an average temperature of twenty degrees celcius.

The climate of Novus Romulus is primarily tundra, with some mildly temperate regions at the equator. The dominant species are the Romulans, with almost two billion residents as of writing, although a few million aliens also live on the cool world. Its capital city is Krocton, which is designed around a circular design which centres upon the Romulan Senate, one of the most democratic and transparent planetary governments in the Federation. Novus Romulus is also one of the most industrial of all of the member worlds, second only to New Eden, and almost 35% of all Federation starships are built here.

Elaria system

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Elaria is the third planet in a system of five, orbiting a large K9III red giant star. It is a dense world, slightly larger in diameter than New Eden, and as such has a thick atmosphere and a high gravitational pull. Being as it was settled by Vulcans, of which some one billion live there, who arrived some ten years after New Eden was first inhabited, the heat and the gravity turned out to be quite pleasant. By request of the Vulcans, Starfleet maintains no military presence within the system itself, but a fleet of starships is always within range of this important member world.

Many have commented that Elaria is one of the least productive of all the member worlds, due to its lack of industry, however many of the Federation's most prominent scientists have originated here.

Andoriana system

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Andoriana was the last of the founding member worlds to be settled. Andoriana itself is actually a moon in orbit around a large gas giant, which itself orbits a small K2VI red dwarf star at a distance of 1.1 astronomical units. It is cold and harsh, and most cities were built underground before the resources became available to deploy large scale shield generators which allowed them to expand onto the surface. This is not only due to the cold, but due to the fact that the Andoriana star is a flare star, frequently bombarding all of the worlds of the system with massive amounts of gamma radiation.

Primarily inhabited by almost a billion Andorians, five hundred million Trill also live there. One of the biggest industries of Andoriana is gas mining, and almost 40% of all Federation deuterium requirements come from their harvesting of the valuable hydrogen isotope from the gas giant they orbit.



~ History ~

Almost four hundred years ago, a fleet of large colony ships set off from known space on a mission to settle in the farthest reaches of the galaxy. Five million colonists in all, there was a mixture of several races from the Federation along with a group of Romulan pacifists who had asked to join the expedition, though the group was predominantly human.

The original mission was to settle some four hundred lightyears away from the old United Federation of Planets, however after passing through an ion storm the ship computers were corrupted and ultimately suffered from severe chronological errors, and as such the entire fleet continued on at high warp for fifty years. After running out of warp reactant, the fleet drifted at high speeds through the cosmos before the ship chronometers finally caught up and awoke the crew from stasis. Now tens of thousands of lightyears from home, the colonists faced a significant challenge as they were forced to settle without any support from the Federation.

Having been separated along the way, the colonists were broken up into groups. The ships primarily containing humans crash-landed on New Eden, and set up temporary settlements from the wreckage before ultimately becoming self-sufficient and building a society. The Romulan colonists became stranded in interstellar space, before finally identifying a nearby M-class world and using a series of photon torpedo blasts to propel their crippled ships into range. Of all the colonists the Vulcans were in the best shape, and were able to effect a controlled landing under impulse power on what is now known as Elaria. Due to their particular state of disarray, the Andorians and Trill had no choice but to put most of their personnel back into stasis while the long-lived Trill attempted to guide the colony ships to the nearest star system using shuttlecraft, a process which took almost ten years.

New Eden flourished particularly well in their formative years, establishing small cities quite quickly. Elaria was not far behind, although in typical Vulcan style they were not so keen on building sprawling metropolises. The Romulans and Andorians suffered quite badly for the first fifty years before becoming self-sufficient. Two hundred years later, all of the colonies began to construct starships once again and were able to re-establish contact with the ancestors of their fellow colonists. It was not long before New Eden and Novus Romulus began to render assistance to the ailing Andorian colony, bringing it out of its depression.

Ten years later, all four of the colonies signed the Charter of the United Federation of Interstellar Planets. Their goal was to establish a bond of mutual aid and defence between the four worlds, as well as pool their resources into more rapid development and exploration. The UFIP was based on the stories of the United Federation of Planets which had been handed down over the generations, and all of the colonies wanted to unite under a similarly fair, democratic and prosperous system – to the point of borrowing most of their Charter text from the original UFP Charter. Shortly thereafter, they merged their respective fleets of starships together to form their own version of Starfleet, a unified scientific and defensive force that was supplied and manned by all four member worlds.

With the United Federation of Interstellar Planets now a unified sovereign state, all of the colonies began to equalise and rapidly increased their progress. New Eden became known as the jewel of the Federation, partially thanks to its fortunate climate, and partially due to the increased importance it garnered as the capital world of the Federation. With both Starfleet Command and the Federation Council located in its main city, New Eden quickly found itself the hub of the Federation, and most of the progress subsequently made by the Federation radiated out from it – to the point where New Eden has essentially become the geographical centre of Federation territory.

As the founding worlds grew to be heavily populated and well-established, dozens of small colonies were formed on habitable worlds across a large region of space, considerably stretching Federation influence and requiring the construction of a larger fleet to defend and aid the new territory it now faced administrating. As new ships were built, more mines were opened up to fuel them, and more shipyards were built all around the Federation to construct them. By the present day, Federation territory covers some four hundred lightyears of space, containing dozens of small colonies in addition to the founding worlds. In response, Starfleet now fields thousands of starships, ranging from powerful Excelsior-class starships to more practical Miranda-class starships. Some particularly important worlds, especially the founding worlds, are protected by numerous starbases and static defence systems, with fleets permanently garrisoned there.

Particularly isolated from the rest of the galaxy, the Federation has not endured any wars in its lifetime. Indeed, it has yet to encounter any intelligent lifeforms above a pre-industrial level of development, although as its territory continues to expand, and as exploratory starships are sent further and further away on deep space assignments, this is expected to change in the near future. Long-range probes sent years ago have begun to report signs of interstellar civilisation, and ships have been despatched to investigate.



~ Economy ~

While the United Federation of Interstellar Planets has a vast economy, it is not driven by typical market forces. With the widespread proliferation of replicator technology, and with stable infrastructures set up on most member worlds, poverty is not an issue in most of the Federation and a state of abundance has rendered greed and, by extension, money obsolete. Most consumer goods, and even some less complex industrial materials, can be replicated fairly easily and have largely removed the need for manual labour as well. Ostensibly, citizens of the Federation are now motivated by the drive to ‘better themselves and the rest of society’, and are encouraged to engage in projects which will help achieve these ends. Education is open to all and as such, many citizens end up in scientific or other professional disciplines.

The largest industrial bases of the Federation are Novus Romulus, and Eden I, both of which output significant quantities of raw materials and manufactured goods that cannot be produced by replicators. New Eden itself is home to the largest shipyards in the Federation, although all of the founder worlds and some of the smaller colonies also house several smaller shipbuilding facilities. Overall the Federation economy is comparable to most developed economies, with a GDP per capital typically hovering around the $35,000 range. Medical care is of a high standard and is freely accessible, and the vast majority of Federation citizens have a high quality of life.

However, while citizens of Federation core worlds believe that they live in a veritable utopia, and with Federation officials tending to disregard any statement to the contrary, some of the smaller, outlying colonies are still underdeveloped and suffer from resource shortages. Regular shipments of food and supplies delivered to these colonies do little to meet demand, and many of the citizens of these small worlds feel somewhat alienated from the rest of the Federation. On some of the least developed colonies, small black markets have even developed in the vacuum of resource shortages, which the Federation Police Authority have frequently attempted to stamp out with minimal success. These colonies need extensive infrastructural development before their populations can enjoy the same quality of life as the bulk of the Federation, and though the government has promised such development it is still yet to occur.


~ Population ~

At present, the population of the United Federation of Interstellar Planets is around the seven billion mark. Of this figure, four billion are human, two billion are Romulan, one billion are Vulcan, five hundred million are Trill, one and a half billion are Andorian, over three hundred million are Bajoran, and the rest are a variety of other races originating from the United Federation of Planets and surrounding areas – including small Klingon communities on several planets. Over four billion Federation citizens reside on New Eden, the most populous planet in the entire nation, with each of the other founding worlds having populations varying between one or two billion each. The rest of the population is spread across the various colonies and space stations that exist in the Federation.

In terms of gender ratios, of all the species in the Federation the ratio is biased to females, who make up roughly fifty-one percent of the population. This ratio is somewhat inaccurate due to the quadruple genders of the Andorians, however, they have been roughly assigned to either male or female roles for this particular statistic.

Amongst humans, roughly sixty-five percent are of European descent, twenty percent are of African descent, ten percent are of Asian descent, and the remaining five percent are of Native American or Middle Eastern descent. Religion is limited amongst humans, with only seven percent claiming to hold any spiritual beliefs – of these, roughly forty percent are Christian, forty percent Muslim, and the remaining twenty percent are of a variety of other faiths.

Amongst the Trill, only five percent are joined with symbionts. This is primarily due to the fact that few joined Trill were part of the original five million colonists, and Trill symbionts breed particularly slowly.

Literacy and numeracy are considered to be 100% officially, although there are believed to be a handful of stragglers in outlying colonies. Persons with mental disabilities are cared for by the state until they are cured, or indefinitely if a cure is not possible, and they are exempt from statistics of this nature.

A variety of languages are spoken, with English being the most widespread – ninety-five percent of all Federation citizens are able to speak it fluently. Romulan and Vulcan are the next most widespread languages, each being spoken by roughly fourteen percent of citizens each. Andorian follows, with eleven percent able to communicate in Andorian. Due to the prevalence of Universal Translators, however, multilingual capabilities are less highly sought after than they were in the early days of the Federation.

In regards to expected lifespans, figures vary from species to species. Humans and Trill hosts can be expected to live to 130 years of age on average, while Trill symbionts typically live for over a millennia. Andorians tend to live slightly shorter lives, with the average lifespan presently being 110 years. Vulcans and Romulans are by far the most long-lived humanoid residents of the Federation, with an average estimated lifespan of well over 240 years. Bajorans, who represent a significant minority of the population, are also fairly long-lived at 150 years.

Regardless of the member planet on which one resides, one is considered to be a Federation citizen, and can live on any of the member worlds without restriction or formal proceedure. There is no recognised demonym for a Federation citizen, but informally they occasionally call themselves Federationites, or Federites.




~ Government ~

Being a federal republic, the United Federation of Interstellar Planets allows a certain degree of autonomy to a selection of pre-determined regional governments – primarily, each of the founding worlds and several of the larger colonies have local governments, most of which are democratic, unicameral councils of some kind or another.

In regards to the central authority of the Federation, there are three distinct branches – the Federation Senate represents the executive branch, and is headed by the head of state, the Federation President. The Federation Council is the legislative branch, headed by the head of government, the Federation Chancellor. Lastly, the Federation Supreme Court represents the judicial branch of the government. All of these branches are located in San Angeles, the capital city of New Eden.

The head of state and government, the Federation President presides over the Federation Council, and represents the voice of the Federation. The President is responsible for all executive decisions and the day to day running of the Federation. Additionally, the Federation President is the Commander in Chief of Starfleet, and is responsible for interstellar foreign policy. Although the President may be aided by a group of appointed ministers at his or her own discretion, the President retains executive power.

As the legislative body, the Federation Council is responsible for ratifying new laws and amending or repealing older ones. Each year the Federation Council debates and passes into effect an annual budget, which determines resource allocations for all public services for that year. To maintain accountability, all Council decisions are approved or vetoed by the Federation President. Each member planet elects Federation Councillors every five years to represent them on the Federation Council. The number of Councillors a member world can elect is based on the size of their population – for example, a small autonomous colony of a few million will be able to elect a single Councillor, whilst New Eden, the largest of the member worlds, can elect ten. Most of these Councillors are members of several Federation-wide political parties, the largest of which at present is the Progressive Party. This brings the total number of available seats on the Federation Council to forty-five, of which the Progressive Party controls seventeen.

In the last general election, President Robert McKinley of the Progressive Party was re-elected for a second term, with a 62% majority.

The government is bound by the terms of the Charter of the United Federation of Interstellar Planets, which functions as a constitution and cannot be changed easily. This document ensures the rights, freedoms and equalities of all Federation citizens, disallowing discrimination based on race or ability, as well as establishing a fair and unbiased legal process which must be followed by all courts. Moreover, the document states the exact responsibilities of all member worlds, ensuring peace and clarifying the level of autonomy member worlds are allowed and the exact jurisdictions of the Federation Council. The latter sections of the Charter establish various national agencies, such as Starfleet Command, Starfleet Security, the Science Bureau and others, and the powers over which the government is able to exert.

Reserved.

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~ Starfleet Command ~

Starfleet Command represents the naval department of the Federation's combined armed forces. Tasked with maintaining fleets of starships for the purposes of exploration, diplomacy, internal policing and defending the Federation against all domestic and foreign threats, Starfleet Command represents the first line of defence for the entire nation. As such it frequently gets large shares of the defence budget.

Starfleet Headquarters are an enormous, high security complex of buildings located several streets away from the Federation Council building in San Angeles, and much like the Federation Council most of its organisational structure comes from the original Starfleet of the ancient United Federation of Planets - even its logo. Starfleet Academy Headquarters are also located on this complex, although the Academy operates campuses on numerous member worlds. Although technically a military organisation, many of its officers operate under purely scientific roles, and higher ranking officers often serve as representatives of Federation interests when no 'official' civilian ambassador is available. Its powers, therefore, are fairly wide-ranging and it is amongst the most politically powerful organisations in the Federation, second only to the Federation Council itself.

Starfleet was formed originally out of the various rag-tag fleets of the colonial worlds in an effort to build a united exploratory and defence force to represent Federation interests, and in its formative years did not have any standard uniform or starships. As a combination of various fleets, its ships often varied in design to the point where technologies were not compatible with each other. Once the organisation was in a more stable position and its funding was at an adequate level, Starfleet began to unify its various departments until it became more recognisable as the effective defence force it is today.

In terms of command structure, the Commander-in-Chief is the highest-ranking officer within Starfleet, a position normally assigned to a fleet admiral, and reports directly to the Federation President - by whom he is also appointed. Beneath the C-in-C are heads of department, fleet admirals assigned to specific agencies within Starfleet such as the Chief of Starfleet Security, or the Chief of Starfleet Medical. By far the most important of these departmental chiefs is the Chief of Starfleet Operations, whom coordinates shipping activities and has beneath him a series of vice admirals appointed as sector commanders. Beyond these key positions, the normal rank structure applies.



~ Starfleet Rank Structure ~

Starfleet, as a military organisation, employs a rank structure which, as well as allowing for some degree of organisation within the overall hierarchy, allows for easy identification of the position a particular individual holds at a glance.

Below is the official Starfleet rank structure as of 816 A.F. Click on the rank's title to see an image of its insignia.

Flag Officers

Flag officer is a traditional set of naval ranks which generally refers to anybody of the rank of Commodore or higher. As was traditional in the past, a flag officer could transfer their flag to a vessel, making it a flagship - although in the modern day such flags are no longer literally used, but it is still true that only a vessel with a flag officer aboard can be designated as a 'flagship'.
Fleet Admiral (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/MattLever/Interstellar%20Planets/fleet-admiral.png)

A fleet admiral is the most senior officer in Starfleet, above all other officers in the fleet. Traditionally assigned to overarching roles such as the Chief of Starfleet Operations.

Vice Admiral (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/MattLever/Interstellar%20Planets/vice-admiral.png)

A vice admiral is second only to the fleet admiral in seniority, above all other officers in the fleet. Vice admirals typically command large facilities such as starbases or military outposts, and are often placed in command of an entire fleet of starships.

Rear Admiral (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/MattLever/Interstellar%20Planets/rear-admiral.png)

A rear admiral is between the grades of vice admiral and commodore - being senior to the latter. Rear admirals are often tasked with dealing with more administrative roles and sometimes given command of smaller starbases or taskforces of starships.

Commodore (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/MattLever/Interstellar%20Planets/commodore.png)

A commodore is the most junior flag officer rank, and they are often giving command of small facilities or groups of starships.


Line Officers

Senior Officers

Senior officers are the senior staff of their respective command posts, often placed in command of entire departments or other high responsibility positions and tasked with making the day to day decisions.
Captain (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/MattLever/Interstellar%20Planets/captain.png)

A captain is the highest of all the senior officer ranks, answering to flag officers only. Captains are typically given positions of command, such as commanding starships or other installations, although some of them may be given senior positions at bases or on research outposts. In order to command a starship in the long term, one must be of captain grade.

Commander (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/MattLever/Interstellar%20Planets/commander.png)

A commander is a rank subordinate to captains but senior to lieutenant commanders. Commanders are often given senior positions such as being first officer of a starship or head of a department.

Lieutenant Commander (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/MattLever/Interstellar%20Planets/lieutenant-commander.png)

The lowest grade of senior officer, a lieutenant commander is subordinate to a commander, but is senior to all junior officers. Lieutenant commanders typically serve as senior department heads, commanding small groups of subordinate officers, and they can even serve as first officers aboard smaller ships.

Junior Officers

A junior officer is a commissioned officer with the rank of lieutenant or lower, typically awarded to inexperienced officers. Most commissioned officers enter service in the junior officer branch when completing Starfleet Academy.
Lieutenant (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/MattLever/Interstellar%20Planets/lieutenant.png)

Lieutenants are the highest ranking junior officers, directly responsible to senior officers. They are expected to be small section leaders, developing their command skills for an eventual promotion to a senior officer grade. While still technically considered to be junior officers, lieutenants of notable skill or experience can sometimes be given roles that would ordinarily be assigned to a senior officer, especially aboard small starships or remote outposts.

Lieutenant Junior Grade (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/MattLever/Interstellar%20Planets/lieutenant-junior-grade.png)

A middling rank subordinate to lieutenant but senior to ensign, the lieutenant junior grade is a fairly rare rank, which most officers skip on being promoted to lieutenant. It is considered a rank for those who are outperforming their duties as ensign, and yet lack either the skills or experience to be promoted to full lieutenant. Starfleet has occasionally discontinued the use of lieutenant junior grade, but at the moment it is in effect.

Ensign (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/MattLever/Interstellar%20Planets/ensign.png)

Ensign is an entry-level officer grade, typically the first rank afforded to newly-graduated junior officers on receiving their commission. Ensigns are primarily given tasks and responsibilities which will further develop their professional skills and command abilities. It is not uncommon for more promising ensigns to take command of departments during unsociable hours. Ensigns can often be seen reporting to more experienced non-commissioned officers under certain technical roles, similar to an apprenticeship.



Enlisted personnel

Enlisted personnel have not completed the four year course at Starfleet Academy, but instead have signed up directly for a posting aboard a starship and have received only basic training and some training in their specific position. They serve aboard starships and starbases in lower ranking capacities, usual in technical rather than command positions.

Non-commissioned officers

A non-commissioned officer has not attended officer training courses at Starfleet Academy, but has authority over lower ranking crewmen. NCOs cannot become commissioned officers without first attending and completing successfully a command course at the Academy, although they can complete such a course in the field if they have the support of a senior line officer. In some rare occasions, NCOs can be made departmental heads if they possess significant experience, though Starfleet first prefers them to take officer training due to the authority over some commissioned officers that they would gain in such a position.
Master Chief Petty Officer (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/MattLever/Interstellar%20Planets/master-chief-petty-officer.png)

A master chief petty officer is the highest ranking of all NCOs, and cannot progress further in rank without taking a command course. Master chief petty officers often command groups of other enlisted personnel, reporting directly to heads of department, and although technically subordinate in rank to commissioned officers they can exert far more authority than junior officers given their high levels of experience, sometimes having junior officers reporting to them. In some rare cases a master chief petty officer can take command of an entire department, though such requires great deals of prior experience.

Senior Chief Petty Officer (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/MattLever/Interstellar%20Planets/senior-chief-petty-officer.png)

Senior chief petty officers are subordinate to all commissioned officers and to master chief petty officers, but they are superior to all other enlisted personnel. Their duties are often of a technical nature, and their title is informally interchangeable with 'specialist'.

Chief Petty Officer (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/MattLever/Interstellar%20Planets/chief-petty-officer.png)

Chief petty officers are subordinate to senior chief petty officers, and superior to petty officers. They are typically even more experienced than ensigns (and sometimes lieutenants) in their given field of knowledge, and as with senior chief petty officers can sometimes be called 'specialists' or just 'chief'. They often take advanced specialist roles, such as taking responsibility for transporter operations or shuttle maintenance.

Petty Officer, First Class (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/MattLever/Interstellar%20Planets/petty-officer-1st-class.png) & Second Class (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/MattLever/Interstellar%20Planets/petty-officer-2nd-class.png)

Petty officers, of which there are both first and second classes, are the lowest ranking non-commissioned officers, often commanding small groups of crewmen. Typically specialists and yeomen will be of a petty officer rank.

Crewmen (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v248/MattLever/Interstellar%20Planets/crewman.png)

Crewmen are the lowest ranking personnel in Starfleet, subordinate to all non-commissioned and commissioned officers. They are typically given only basic training in a particular aspect of starship operations or some other post, and they often lack experience. It is typically awarded to an individual upon completion of a basic training course.



~ Federation Starships ~

The vast majority of Starfleet power lies with its fleet of starships - advanced interstellar vessels generally designed with both exploration and defence in mind. Federation starships mount some of the most powerful and sophisticated sensor packages in use today, and where their sensors are insufficient most starships also carry quantities of advanced automated science probes. Designated exploratory vessels such as the Excelsior-class and the Constitution-class also have numerous science labs of varying disciplines aboard, making them veritable floating research facilities. These explorers are designed to operate on extremely long range assignments without base support, and as such they are highly self-sufficient, fully capable of gathering their own fuel requirements and creating anti-matter using on-board facilities. Heavy use of matter replication technologies for everyday needs such as food and waste disposal significantly reduce the reliance on cargo space and supply storage, freeing up internal volume for more productive uses and simultaneously affording starships with even greater range.

Lacking the necessity or intention of creating aesthetically intimidating vessels, their starships tend to be unimposing in appearance and smaller on average when compared to those of contemporary spacefaring civilisations. Despite this lack of physical presence, Federation starships are equipped with the means to defend themselves against larger vessels if necessary, as Starfleet recognises the need for strong defensive systems in a largely belligerent galaxy. While Federation starship spaceframes are primarily designed with warp dynamics in mind, powerful structural integrity fields and additional defensive forcefields can greatly reinforce their hulls, including any perceived weakpoints, making them surprisingly durable foes. Starfleet is renowned for favouring high levels of redundancy to the point of fanaticism, emphasising the high value that Starfleet places on the survivability of their vessels and the lives of their crews.



Excelsior-class Starship

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Type: Heavy Explorer / Battlecruiser
Length: 469 metres
Mass: 2,150,000 metric tons
Hull: Duranium hull plating over duranium-tritanium spaceframe
Power plant: Mark 4.5 M/AM reactor, 3x Version 3 laser-induced fusion reactors
Maximum speed: Warp factor 13.7 (35,227.5c)
Cruising speed: Warp factor 8 (4,096c)
Crew complement: 150x officers, 550x enlisted
Phasers: 12x type VIII dual phaser turret emplacements (total power output 3.377 exawatts)
Torpedoes: 4x Mk 7 burst-fire photon torpedo launchers (2x fore, 2x aft)
Deflector shields: FSQ-2 heavy regenerative deflector shield grid and force field control system (420.28 exawatt capacity)
Auxilliary craft: 8x Type 2 medium-range personnel shuttlecraft

As the largest, most powerful, most sophisticated starship presently serving in Starfleet, the Excelsior-class starship holds the distinction as one of the most desirable commands in the fleet.

With the ageing Constitution-class starship serving as the primary ship of the line in Starfleet, Starfleet Command commissioned the Advanced Starship Design Bureau to develop a replacement starship that was to be larger, more durable, more heavily armed and much more capable of long range exploratory missions. At the time, transwarp drive was a term batted around development halls, and the Excelsior project quickly found itself serving as a testbed for this new technology. With speed being a key selling point, the spaceframe of the Excelsior was designed from the outset to be extremely streamlined for warp travel, as well as durable enough to withstand the extreme speeds it was intended to endure.

The USS Excelsior, NX-2000, was constructed as of 312 A.F. and immediately suffered from problems due to her complicated new propulsion systems. On her first trial run - a low-warp journey from New Eden to Novus Romulus - her engines suffered from a massive imbalance and were virtually destroyed by the resulting plasma build-up. She returned home to New Eden Shipyards, but not under her own power.

Her subsequent trials were no more successful. Transwarp drive had become something of a white elephant in the halls of Starfleet Command, and the Excelsior project was quietly forgotten, and her pathfinder was mothballed at Starbase 1 for two years. In this time period, however, two Constitution-class starships were destroyed in rapid succession by newly-encountered hostile races, whom overpowered the older ship both times. This shocking revelation forced Starfleet Command to once more seek a replacement for the venerable, but obsolete, starship. And once more, they looked towards the Excelsior.

The NX-2000 was brought out of mothballs, and her transwarp drive was torn out, to be replaced by a conventional matter/anti-matter reactor core and warp engine nacelles - the most powerful such devices ever before employed in a starship. These all-new components, combined with the Excelsior spaceframe's impressive warp dynamics and structural integrity, assured the Excelsior-class a record-breaking top speed in spite of the absence of her vaunted transwarp drive, vastly superior to the next-fastest ship in the fleet, the Constitution-class. Impressed, Starfleet Command approved field tests of the USS Excelsior, which was promptly refitted with newer phaser emitters, tougher hull plating and more powerful shield grids to make her the most powerful starship in the Federation at the time.

Trial runs were considered highly successful, and the Excelsior was brought on to active duty pending a review. She was put out to pasture on a two year exploratory mission near the galactic border, where she completed her tasks admirably and successfully stood up to numerous hostile encounters without taking significant damage. Highly impressed, Starfleet Command commissioned the Excelsior-class for immediate mass production, and the USS Excelsior became the new flagship for Fleet Admiral Honardo.

As the fastest, largest starship presently in service, the Excelsior-class has usurped the Constitution-class starship as Starfleet's premier long-range exploratory vessel, capable of taking on (at a maximum) fifteen year missions without base support. Across her fifteen habitable decks are some fifteen scientific laboratories (ranging in purpose from xenobiological labs and cybernetics labs to stellar cartography facilities), and the Excelsior sports the most powerful sensor packages presently available. In addition to this, her all-new Mark VI isolinear computer processor core, running on LCARS build 1.2, has greater memory capacity and processing speeds than any other mobile computing system in the Federation. Equipped with the latest developments in scanning technology, the Excelsior's long-range active subspace sensor pallets are capable of high-resolution scans at up to five light years distance, with lower resolution scans possible up to seventeen lightyears, while she is capable of charting star systems at up to one thousand lightyears distance.

Her type VIII dual phaser turrets offer power outputs almost 60% higher than the older type VII, with each indivual emitter developing an output of some 140.7 petawatts, while each of her burst-fire photon torpedo tubes allow her to deliver five photon torpedoes simultaneously if necessary. All of which combine to allow the Excelsior-class to deliver a significant increase in destructive power over the Constitution-class. Additionally, her new shield grid design (rated at withstanding 420.28 exawatts of weapons fire) and hull plating are also highly advanced, making her a formidable combat vessel in addition to her science roles.

To date, only three hundred and fifty Excelsior-class starships have been commissioned, although production continues at pace.



Constitution-class Starship

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Type: Explorer / Heavy Cruiser
Length: 305 metres
Mass: 930,500 metric tons
Hull: Duranium hull plating over duranium-tritanium spaceframe
Power plant: Mark 3.5 M/AM reactor, 3x Version 2 laser-induced fusion reactors
Maximum speed: Warp factor 10.4 (13,108c)
Cruising speed: Warp factor 7.5 (3164.1c)
Crew complement: 72x officers, 300x enlisted
Phasers: 9x type VII dual phaser turret emplacements (total power output 1.624 exawatts)
Torpedoes: 2x Mk 6 standard photon torpedo launchers (2x fore)
Deflector shields: FSQ-1 heavy deflector shield grid and force field control system (190.36 exawatt capacity)
Auxilliary craft: 4x Type 2 medium-range personnel shuttlecraft

The Constitution-class starship, having been commissioned for over forty years, represents the oldest class of starship still in service in Starfleet, and, despite its advanced years, remains the primary vessel of exploration. A rugged design, the Constitution-class can still hold her own in combat situations, and is amongst the more powerful starships presently in service.

Built specifically to address concerns that smaller, less sophisticated starships were incapable of adequately fulfilling long-range exploratory duties, the Constitution-class was commissioned by Starfleet Command. The first of her class, USS Constitution NCC-1700, is presently the oldest ship still commissioned in the fleet, and admirably continues to conduct her duties in exploration and defence.

The original Constitution-class design submitted to Starfleet Command by the Advanced Starship Design Bureau was accepted with only a few minor alterations needed, making it one of the shortest design processes in Starfleet history. Starfleet at the time considered her size, armaments and science facilities to ideally suit their requirements, and the USS Constitution pathfinder design was immediately constructed in the year 269 A.F. After some minor issues with her new M/AM reactor were addressed (specifically, a recurring matter imbalance that significantly reduced efficiency after only a few hours of operation) the Constitution-class was considered a blazing success, and Starfleet approved the design for mass production.

Twenty years into its service, in the year 288 A.F., Constitution-class production was halted whilst the design was re-evaluated. Although the design was still considered to be excellent, with a superior service record and no major issues reported, she was beginning to grow outdated in comparison to other starships of the time. Rather than commission a replacement design for the successful ship, the entire Constitution line was given a major refit - virtually every major component was stripped from the spaceframe and the ships were rebuilt from the ground up. An entirely new warp drive system was incorporated into the design, radically uprating her available power reserves and increasing her maximum speed by two warp factors, while simultaneously increasing fuel efficiency. In addition to the increased range afforded to the craft, modernised sensor pallets were installed, virtually doubling her effective scanning range and re-affirming the vessel as the superior exploratory craft of the time. New (at the time) type VII phaser emitters, drawing power directly from the warp core where available, were estimated to be three times more potent than the previous generation, delivering some 90.2 petawatts, whist the 'neck' of the starship was widened to accommodate two photon torpedo bays instead of one. While her original shield grid remained the same, it was considerably upgraded to a rating of 190.36 exawatts, and her structural integrity systems were augmented as well.

It took almost five years of constant renovation to completely convert the existing Constitution-class starships to the refit specifications, but once this was accomplished production on the revised design recommenced.

For many years the Constitution-class remained the fastest and most powerful starship in the fleet. Now nearing the end of its serviceable life, the Constitution-class starship is still the primary exploration platform of Starfleet, despite the introduction of the Excelsior-class, and recent minor refits have extended her survivability somewhat. With over seven hundred and fifty starships presently in service, the Constitution-class is also one of the most numerous starships in service. Starfleet Command estimates that the class will be decommissioned in ten years time, and production officially ended five years ago with only one more refit to the line planned in five years.



Miranda-class Starship

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Type: Light Explorer / Light Cruiser
Length: 237 metres
Mass: 675,000 metric tons
Hull: Duranium hull plating over duranium-tritanium spaceframe
Power plant: Mark 3 M/AM reactor, 2x Version 2 laser-induced fusion reactors
Maximum speed: Warp factor 9.95 (9,801.5c)
Cruising speed: Warp factor 7 (2,401c)
Crew complement: 60 officers, 140 enlisted
Phasers: 6x type VII dual phaser turret emplacements, 2x type I pulse phaser cannons (total power output 1.356 exawatts)
Torpedoes: 4x Mk 6 standard photon torpedo launchers (2x fore, 2x aft)
Deflector shields: FSQ-1 medium deflector shield grid and force field control system (130.04 exawatt capacity)
Auxilliary craft: 2x Type 2 medium-range personnel shuttlecraft

The Miranda-class is considered to be the workhorse of the Federation. Serving in numbers greater than any other class of starship, and being almost as old as the Constitution-class after which she was modelled, the Miranda-class is a common sight within Federation borders and some distance beyond. Their typical missions can include anything from border patrols, long-term scientific studies, and even hauling sensitive cargo across Federation space.

Her design was motivated by a requirement for smaller starships that, although lacking the range of the larger Constitution-class starships, would be more numerous and thus more flexible. Several designs were submitted to Starfleet Command until the Miranda's controversial design was accepted with only minor alterations needed. The resulting design was a highly modular starship design that attempts to be a 'jack of all trades'. As part of the design brief, the Miranda had to be cheap to operate, and this was achieved not only by her more compact size but also by achieving nearly 80% parts commonality with the Constitution-class - which resulted in the class receiving a major refit in the year 291 A.F. at roughly the same time as the Constitution-class line. This similarity also meant that the construction of the prototype USS Miranda went smoothly, as most of the technologies had already been in use aboard the USS Constitution for several years, and any issues had already been ironed out. With her modular nature taken into account, she becomes a highly flexible, easy to maintain starship with a variety of mission roles.

She strikes a balance between combat and exploration roles. Whilst her reduced range and reduced number of laboratories generally precludes her use as a long-range explorer, she is still fully capable of serving in a dedicated scientific role and is frequently deployed on short to medium-range exploration missions. The Miranda's modular nature allows her to be outfitted for specific missions - for science-orientated missions, for example, many of her weapons systems can be removed and replaced with sensor pallets, probe stockpiles or additional science labs. Such is her modular nature that she has spawned two entirely new classes based on her spaceframe. Miranda-class starships can often be seen serving as diplomatic couriers, or escorts of such, and they are generally a well-respected class by all Starfleet officers.

Although her deflector shields are of a lesser order of strength than those of a Constitution-class, she can generally deliver her firepower more efficiently thanks to a powerful forward weapons arc and increased agility. The Miranda's phaser emitters are fewer in number, but she compensates for this via the use of two powerful pulse phaser cannons mounted on her rollbar, which are capable of firing across much of her upper phaser arcs. While these pulse phasers take longer to recharge than conventional phasers, they pack a greater punch and have a slightly higher damage per second ratio. Additionally, the Miranda-class is fairly reliant on torpedo launchers, of which she has four mounted on a weapons pod at the centre of the rollbar.

With nearly two thousand Miranda-class starships in service and the line still under production, it is unlikely that this particular class of starship will fall out of favour with Starfleet any time soon.



Saratoga-class Starship

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Type: Science Vessel
Length: 237 metres
Mass: 675,000 metric tons
Hull: Duranium hull plating over duranium-tritanium spaceframe
Power plant: Mark 3 M/AM reactor, 2x Version 2 laser-induced fusion reactors
Maximum speed: Warp factor 9.95 (9,801.5c)
Cruising speed: Warp factor 7 (2,401c)
Crew complement: 40 officers, 130 enlisted
Phasers: 6x type VII dual phaser turret emplacements (total power output 1.082 exawatts)
Torpedoes: None
Deflector shields: FSQ-1 medium deflector shield grid and force field control system (130.04 exawatt capacity)
Auxilliary craft: 4x Type 2 medium-range personnel shuttlecraft

The Saratoga-class starship is one of several variants based on the original Miranda-class spaceframe, taking advantage of the modular nature of its ancestor. Something of a niche vessel, the Saratoga is less of an explorer and more of a long-term research vessel, designed to be dedicated to long duration science projects.

Originally just a heavily modified Miranda, the Saratoga became a class of its own purely by accident - in 299 A.F. Starfleet Command commissioned the Advanced Starship Design Bureau to develop a purely scientific vessel, in response to a perceived lack of such a craft. The Constitution-class was considered overkill for long-term scientific research projects, as their significant resources were better spent elsewhere, while the Miranda was either ill-equipped in its standard configuration, or simply too great a waste of its flexible nature. The ASDB submitted their design some time later, however due to a clerical error they submitted the designs of a previously modified Miranda-class starship that had been, until then, a one-off customisation project. Despite this error, however, Starfleet Command decided that this science-orientated Miranda was ideally suited, especially due to the fact that its similarities to the Miranda made it much cheaper than a completely new design.

Saratoga-class starships are not designed to be engaged in combat. The rollbar of the Miranda-class has been replaced in favour of an elongated shuttlebay and two extremely powerful external lateral sensor arrays, reducing its overall weapons capabilities by almost 65% in comparison. Lacking either the pulse phaser cannons or any torpedo launchers whatsoever, the Saratoga is ill-equipped for deep space solo exploratory missions or combat roles. She is better protected than most science vessels, however, thanks to her reception of the Miranda-class' moderate shield grid and her tough spaceframe.

Her niche role means that compared to the Miranda, few Saratogas have been commissioned. At present there are only one hundred and fifty Saratoga-class starships in service, although the class is still considered to be 'in production'. Although the recent introduction of the Oberth-class starship has brought into question the need for Saratoga-class starships to remain in service, she generally fulfils her mission requirements well and is well-loved by the crews that serve aboard them.



Soyuz-class Starship

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Type: Phaser Frigate
Length: 237 metres
Mass: 640,000 metric tons
Hull: Duranium hull plating over duranium-tritanium spaceframe
Power plant: Mark 3 M/AM reactor, 2x Version 2 laser-induced fusion reactors
Maximum speed: Warp factor 9.95 (9,801.5c)
Cruising speed: Warp factor 7 (2,401c)
Crew complement: 60 officers, 140 enlisted
Phasers: 6x type VII dual phaser turret emplacements, 2x type I pulse phaser cannons, 2x type VIII heavy phaser emitters (total power output 1.65 exawatts)
Torpedoes: None
Deflector shields: FSQ-1 medium deflector shield grid and force field control system (130.04 exawatt capacity)
Auxilliary craft: None

Another variant of the Miranda-class design, the Soyuz came about as a fleet support vessel, ostensibly commissioned to 'fill in the gaps' that some fleet commanders were reporting. Her photon torpedo bays, shuttlebays and much of her scanning abilities have been sacrificed for the sake of numerous heavy phaser arrays, giving her a powerful forward weapons arc.

The Soyuz-class was commissioned fairly recently, in 308 A.F. and her construction coincided with the development of the more powerful type VIII phaser emitter system. Prior to their being installed on the Excelsior model, the type VIII emitter system was still somewhat bulky, but it delivered much greater power outputs. Looking for a cheap way to employ these much more powerful phaser systems within the fleet, the Miranda-class frame was chosen as a testbed for the new emitters - as such her aft section was reworked considerably, which saw the removal of the photon torpedo launchers and the shuttlebays, to accommodate the heavy phaser emitter that protrudes from the dorsal side. Additionally, the main phased sensor array on the ventral mound of the saucer was replaced with a slightly smaller emitter, which can swivel 360 degrees to allow for much greater ventral phaser coverage.

The result is a ship that has little use in solo missions, due to her poor weapons coverage and reduced sensor range. Her strength is in fleet operations, whereby the Soyuz will hang back and pound enemy ships with her heavy phasers. However, the Soyuz met little success, as the introduction of the Excelsior saw dozens of type VIIIs emitters deployed on a much larger and more heavily defended platform, and ultimately only seventy were commissioned. These remain in service as fleet support craft, but they tend to be placed on defensive posts and are rarely deployed elsewhere.



Constellation-class Starship

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Type: Medium Explorer / Cruiser
Length: 310 metres
Mass: 870,000 metric tons
Hull: Duranium hull plating over duranium-tritanium spaceframe
Power plant: Mark 3 M/AM reactor, 2x Version 2 laser-induced fusion reactors
Maximum speed: Warp factor 8.8 (5,996.96c)
Cruising speed: Warp factor 6 (1,296c)
Crew complement: 90x officers, 200x enlisted
Phasers: 8x type VII dual phaser turret emplacements (total power output 1.443 exawatts)
Torpedoes: 1x Mk 6 standard photon torpedo launchers (1x aft)
Deflector shields: FSQ-1 medium deflector shield grid and force field control system (130.04 exawatt capacity)
Auxilliary craft: 2x Type 2 medium-range personnel shuttlecraft

The Constellation-class starship was an experiment in warp dynamics gone wrong, however a rugged and reliable starship was the end result, generally favoured by their commanding officers, and often nicknamed 'the great little ship that nobody asked for'. Though not especially well armed, their remarkably durable spaceframe can take a significant amount of damage compared to similar ships of their size.

Before the idea of transwarp drive became a reality, in 286 A.F. Starfleet Command dabbled in other methods of increasing warp speeds. One method which rose and fell from popular view quite quickly was the use of four warp engine nacelles instead of the conventional two. It was theorised that the use of a more symmetrical and stable warp field would allow for a starship to enter warp more smoothly, and achieve much higher speeds. The Constellation-class starship was constructed at the shipyards in Novus Romulus as a testbed for this theory, a theory which always seemed to play out admirably in simulations. Unfortunately, despite much tweaking and repeated field trials, the Constellation's use of four warp nacelles actually served to decrease her maximum speed, which obviously displeased her designers. As scientists gained a greater understanding of warp dynamics, the four nacelle idea was ultimately dropped from Starfleet consideration and the Constellation-class experiment was considered to be a failure.

Although the experiment itself was abandoned, one unusual side effect was that although slower than most starships of her size, the Constellation could maintain a highly stable warp field for much longer periods of time whilst simultaneously reducing fuel consumption, and it was estimated that the ship could accelerate 25% faster than a Constitution-class. Additionally, the Constellation could maintain a warp field even if two of her nacelles were destroyed, giving her much greater redundancy. As her other performance indicators were all acceptable, she was ultimately commissioned for limited production across a ten year period, to serve as an explorer/cruiser.

Though slightly larger than the Constitution-class, she is comparatively poorly armed and shielded. Her unusual configuration, lacking an engineering hull like Constitution-class or a rollbar like the Miranda-class, precludes the use of a forward torpedo launcher, and her complicated warp engine systems interfere with the installation of any aft phaser arrays. Her shield grid is the same type as the Miranda-class, but due to the increased surface area of the Constitution it offers reduced protection in comparison.

The Constellation-class fills a role more similar to that of a Miranda - a multi-purpose, short-range vessel. Over four hundred Constellations were commissioned and remain in service today.



Oberth-class Starship

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Type: Science Vessel
Length: 120 metres
Mass: 150,000 metric tons
Hull: Duranium hull plating over duranium-tritanium spaceframe
Power plant: Mark 4 M/AM reactor, 1x Version 3 laser-induced fusion reactors
Maximum speed: Warp factor 11.3 (16,304.7c)
Cruising speed: Warp factor 8 (4,096c)
Crew complement: 10x officers, 40x enlisted
Phasers: 2x type VII phaser turret emplacements (total power output 360.8 petawatts)
Torpedoes: 1x Mk 6 standard photon torpedo launchers (1x fore)
Deflector shields: FSQ-2 light regenerative deflector shield grid and force field control system (130.84 exawatt capacity)
Auxilliary craft: 1x Type 2 medium-range personnel shuttlecraft

A recently-commissioned class of starship, the Oberth is designed purely as a dedicated science and research vessel, with no provisions for combat or long-range exploration.

Her design came about rather suddenly as it was realised that the ageing Saratoga-class starship was not performing as well as had been hoped. Starfleet Command commissioned the Advanced Starship Design Bureau to develop a science vessel that was highly economical, and yet with ample scientific resources to carry out its role more effectively than the Saratoga. Rather than refitting an older starship as they had done previously, Starfleet wanted an entirely new class of starship to be developed utilising modern technologies where possible. After submitting several design proposals to Starfleet, including an even more heavily modified Miranda-class design that was rejected outright, the ASDB finally settled on the present spaceframe for the Oberth. A peculiar shape, the Oberth has a surprisingly high surface area for a ship of its size, which allows for far more sensor pallets to be installed than would ordinarily be possible.

Developed in parallel to the revived Excelsior project, the Oberth shares many of the technologies pioneered on the much larger starship - including smaller versions of her advanced sensor pallets, and a miniaturised predecessor to the powerful next-generation Mark 4.5 M/AM reactor core. Due to warp dynamic issues caused by the unusual shape and diminutive size of the Oberth's spaceframe the ship cannot travel anywhere near as fast as the Excelsior-class, but she can maintain her maximum rated speed for almost twenty hours if necessary and is somewhat faster than previous-generation starships such as the Constitution-class. Her shields, though lower powered versions, share many of the technological advances found in her larger cousin such as their regenerative properties and afford her more protection than a larger Miranda-class starship. This good degree of parts commonality assures that she will be cheaper to maintain than had been originally expected. She is not armed for combat, and incorporates older phasers and a single torpedo launcher for defensive and scientific purposes only.

When the USS Oberth was commissioned and entered field tests, Starfleet was immensely pleased with her performance and placed the ship on active duty. Over ninety Oberth-class starships were ordered for construction, and a second contract of forty is planned for the future. Starfleet hopes to bring three hundred Oberths operational within the next ten years. So far the starships have outperformed the Saratoga-class in most missions, and several Saratoga-class starships have been reassigned so that Oberth-class starships can take over their projects.



Type 2 medium-range personnel shuttlecraft

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Type: Shuttlecraft
Length: 9 metres
Mass: 10 metric tons
Hull: Duranium hull plating over duranium-titanium spaceframe
Power plant: Mark 2.2 micro M/AM reactor, 1x Version 1 microfusion reactor
Maximum speed: Warp factor 4 (256c)
Cruising speed: Warp factor 2 (16c)
Crew complement: 2x pilots, 8x passengers
Phasers: 2x type IV phaser emplacements (total power output 2.2 terawatts)
Torpedoes: None
Deflector shields: FSQ-1 micro deflector shield grid and force field control system (90.1 petawatt capacity)
Auxilliary craft: N/A

The Type 2 medium-range personnel shuttlecraft is an extremely common auxiliary craft employed aboard most Federation starships and starbases to some degree. It is a multi-role, warp-capable craft that is most often used for ferrying officers across short distances, and for making planetary landings where the transporter is unavailable.

Designed in parallel to the Constitution-refit project, the Type 2 replaced the venerable Type 1 shuttlecraft which had been in use since the beginning of the Federation. While reliable and versatile, the Type 1 was beginning to show its age - it was not warp-capable, it was constructed purely from monotanium which severely reduced its survivability, and it lacked a shield grid of any kind. While Starfleet believed that it may be possible to correct some of these issues, it felt that it was appropriate to design an entirely new shuttlecraft as a replacement. The Advanced Starship Design Bureau went through several drafts before Starfleet settled on the Type 2. By 289 A.F. the Type 2 could be seen on most newly-refit Constitution-class starships, and had fully entered mass production.

Built from duranium-tritanium composite, and equipped with a low-power shield grid, the Type 2 is a surprisingly durable little craft. Additionally it is armed with two type IV phaser emplacements on the bow, which in combination with its shields and sturdy construction allows it to engage other craft of similar size successfully if necessary. It is capable of speeds up to warp factor 4, however it is recommended that the shuttlecraft not exceed warp factor three except in emergencies, and its micro-fusion thrusters allow it to travel at sublight speeds approaching 0.4c under emergency conditions. While flying within an atmosphere the Type 2 can reach a maximum speed of mach 12, with mach 6 being generally recommended for normal flight operations, and it is equipped with an anti-grav field to allow for hovering near the ground. Atmospheric airscoops have been fitted specifically for the occasions when the shuttlecraft will be expected to fly at speed within a planetary atmosphere. The shuttle has two exits; a side door for normal alighting, and a main hatch for the purposes of loading cargo or allowing many personnel to enter/exit quickly. This rear hatch is especially useful when depositing troops during a ground assault, and the main shield grid can be extended around the immediate aft area for this purpose.

Tens of thousands of Type 2 shuttlecraft have been built, and they have a high success rate. It is not estimated that a replacement will be required for the foreseeable future.



N.B. The United Federation of Interstellar Planets utilises far more advanced warp drives than those used by their ancient namesake, and as such use a somewhat different warp scale called the "Cochrane^4 Warp Scale" to prevent excessively high warp factors. To determine how many times faster than light a starship is travelling under the Cochrane^4 scale, one must calculate the warp factor figure to the fourth power as its name suggests, or alternatively (where w is equal to warp factor and c is equal to lightspeed): c=w^4. Under this scale, a starship travelling at warp factor five would actually be travelling at 625c. It should also be noted that few starships are capable of maintaining their maximum warp factor for longer than a few minutes at a time before their nacelles begin to overheat and their warp cores become overtaxed.

OOC stuff: It should also be readily apparent that while the UFIP utilises canon ship classes, uniforms, ranks and procedures as depicted in TMP-era, it does not use 'canon' power levels (at least, as understood by prolific readers of stardestroyer.net). All technology has been brought up to speed with the bulk of the NSverse to prevent wankers who dislike the ST franchise from stampeding across their ships to satisfy their own egos. An Excelsior-class starship serving in the UFIP starfleet is a significantly more powerful opponent than one seen on-screen, and should be viewed as a highly competent battleship despite its small size. They don't need to close to ridiculously short ranges to engage opponents either; phasers travel at lightspeed, and photon torpedoes at warp speed.

The Federation has advanced technology, which is not as frail as that used onscreen, and according to the '1000 ships per billion citizens' guideline often used around here, has a smaller fleet than its population would allow to demonstrate the increased power of their ships. Characters can underestimate them at first glance, but not after a quick scan.

As for Starbases, described below, assaulting them with anything less than a large fleet (or a lone Darkship) will result in a short death.

Power output figures are there purely for the purposes of making this in-universe guide seem 'authentic'. There will be no stat-wanking, I just like people to play fairly.

~ Federation Starbases ~

Federation starbases of varying classes can be found throughout Federation space, ranging from small research and policing outposts to the vast Spacedock itself. The larger starbases, particularly battlestations and border monitoring outposts, can be found to mount defensive systems and sensor pallets several orders of magnitude more powerful than mobile starships, making them frightfully difficult targets in combat scenarios. Despite this, starbases in Federation space are rarely placed into belligerent circumstances, and more often fulfil scientific and diplomatic roles.



Ournal-class Spacedock

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Type: Spacedock
Height: 6,900 metres
Diameter: 4,600 metres
Mass: 236,700,000 metric tons
Hull: Duranium hull plating over duranium-tritanium spaceframe
Power plant: 32x Version 5 laser-induced fusion reactors
Crew complement: 1,500 officers, 13,500 enlisted, 20,000+ civilians
Phasers: 370x type IX dual phaser turret emplacements (total power output 290.23 exawatts)
Torpedoes: 50x Mk 7 burst-fire photon torpedo launchers
Deflector shields: FSQ-4 superheavy regenerative deflector shield grid and force field control system (20.92 zettawatt capacity)
Auxilliary craft: 500x 'worker bee' general utility craft, 100x Type 2 medium-range personnel shuttlecraft
Internal Starship capacity: 30x starships

The Ournal-class Spacedock is the ultimate class of Federation starbase. Serving as defensive fortresses, industrial centres, large-scale starship maintenance and construction facilities, scientific research bases and as strategic operations command centres, Ournal-class Spacedocks are literally fortified cities in the sky. These massive facilities are responsible for outfitting entire fleets of starships at a time in addition to her scientific and defensive duties, and as well as being able to accommodate up to thirty starships within her upper hangar area, over a hundred starships may dock on her external hull where retractable drydocks can be erected fairly quickly. Her enormous hangar doors are capable of accepting vessels even larger than the Excelsior-class, affording her with some degree of future proofing and flexibility.

The first Ournal-class began life as a makeshift orbital drydock facility above New Eden in the early days of the Federation, and was expanded rapidly as the years passed and the requirements of Starfleet increased. By 59 A.F. the Spacedock had become an inefficient haphazard facility that had seen many of its sections tacked on. Starfleet repeatedly insisted upon a dedicated orbital facility that would operate as a central hub for all starship operations in a given region, and eventually Spacedock was rebuilt into its present form, re-designated as the Ournal-class, in 245 A.F. Its success was impressive, and sister stations were promptly built in orbit around each of the founding worlds. An additional Ournal-class Spacedock was finished in orbit around the major colony world Brahms III, bringing the total number of such facilities up to five. On average it takes roughly ten years to build a Spacedock facility from the ground up (so to speak), and once established a Spacedock can immediately begin industrial operations.

Armed with over three hundred and fifty starbase-grade type IX dual phaser turrets, each emitter developing 390.5 petawatts, to say nothing of numerous burst-fire photon torpedo tubes, and mounting the heaviest deflector shield grid ever developed, the Ournal-class Spacedock is a difficult target to assault. This difficulty is only multiplied when one considers that there is almost always a fleet of starships stationed somewhere in the vicinity, as well as numerous combat-ready starships docked inside and outside of the facility. Her sensors can see for many lightyears around in perfect detail, and her onboard fuel stores and replicator systems allow her to operate without resupply for a matter of years, precluding any kind of siege attempt. As the premier facilities of the Federation, Ournals are continually upgraded with the most advanced technologies available at any given time, and thus far their lifespan has not been given any definitive date.

As Spacedocks are not afforded names in the same manner that starships are, but instead numbers based on their order of construction, many people informally refer to each Spacedock by its location - for example, Spacedock 1 is commonly called the New Eden Spacedock.



Defender-class starbase

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Type: Battlestation
Height: 2,200 metres
Diameter: 2,900 metres
Mass: 20,000,000 metric tons
Hull: Duranium hull plating over duranium-tritanium spaceframe
Power plant: 16x Version 5 laser-induced fusion reactors
Crew complement: 700 officers, 4,300 enlisted, 5,000+ civilians
Phasers: 220x type IX dual phaser turret emplacements (total power output 170.38 exawatts)
Torpedoes: 40x Mk 7 burst-fire photon torpedo launchers
Deflector shields: FSQ-4 heavy regenerative deflector shield grid and force field control system (10.49 zettawatt capacity)
Auxilliary craft: 200x 'worker bee' general utility craft, 100x Type 2 medium-range personnel shuttlecraft
Internal Starship capacity: 15x starships

The Defender-class starbase is categorised as a battlestation by Starfleet, and its scientific, diplomatic and industrial roles have been played down considerably when compared to the Ournal-class Spacedock. As such it is also smaller, and deployed in somewhat greater numbers, even though it lacks the same civilian roles.

Designed by a team of experts on Novus Romulus in 253 A.F. in response to claims that there was no intermediary starbase between the massive Spacedock and the comparatively diminutive Regula-class outpost. The design brief called for a large station, focussed more on fleet operations and support and less on science and industry, designed specifically to be deployed to strategically valuable locations within Federation borders for the purposes of defence and local strategic command and control. Initially designers put forward a refit version of the Regula-class, but Starfleet declined as it was too small. Instead, a much larger station was designed, borrowing many design cues from the Regula, with a large complement of weapons and the ability to support several starships within its mass. This design was accepted, and five such stations were commissioned for production - one in each founding system, and one in the vicinity of Brahms III. After several years of trouble free operations, production continued on several more.

As of today there are thirty-two Defender-class starbases in operation at key points all across the Federation. Armed with a slightly smaller number of the same high-yield phaser emitters as the Spacedock, and with slightly less powerful shielding, the Defender is no less difficult to assault. She can host fifteen starships within her mass for emergency repairs, and many more starships may dock on her external hull, allowing her to maintain fleets of starships if dedicated facilities are not available. Like Spacedocks, Defender-class starbases are not given names but rather numbers, and unlike Spacedocks most people refer to them by their numerical designation rather than the system they are located in.



Regula-class Outpost

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Type: Outpost
Height: 242 metres
Diameter: 201 metres
Mass: 200,000 metric tons
Hull: Duranium hull plating over duranium-tritanium spaceframe
Power plant: 2x Version 1a laser-induced fusion reactors
Crew complement: 10 officers, 60 enlisted
Phasers: 20x type VII dual phaser turret emplacements (total power output 3.68 exawatts)
Torpedoes: None
Deflector shields: FSQ-1 heavy deflector shield grid and force field control system (190.36 exawatt capacity)
Auxilliary craft: 5x 'worker bee' general utility craft, 10x Type 2 medium-range personnel shuttlecraft
Internal Starship capacity: None

The Regula-class outpost is of an older design than any other, beating even the Constitution-class starship as the longest serving piece of equipment in Starfleet. Originally built as a scientific research facility for deep space missions, the Regula-class was subsequently adopted as a general-purpose outpost. Highly modular, different Regula-class outposts can be outfitted for completely different missions - meaning that some may have different specifications than others.

Previously, starships were being deployed on long-term science missions because the resources to develop a static facility were not in place. However, for particularly long-term missions, such as transforming a planet or monitoring stellar phenomenon, permanently stationing a starship in the area was viewed as highly wasteful and inconvenient for the crews as well. Starfleet petitioned the Advanced Starship Design Bureau to design a small, flexible class of outpost that could be easily deployed and easily modified to serve different purposes, while being self-sufficient enough to remain unsupported for weeks at a time. As static facilities have fewer variables to consider, the first design was immediately accepted in 73 A.F.

By 100 A.F. Regula outposts could be found all across the Federation. Such was their modular nature that they were fitted with weapons and deployed as border control outposts, supplementing the reliance on deep space satellites that the Federation had previously used for such purposes. As well as having the sensor range to scan well outside of Federation space, the Regula-class outpost could be fitted with more weapons than a starship of comparable size, making it able to act as a preliminary line of defence in the event of an incursion. As weapons technology improved, and phaser emitters shrank in both size and power requirements, fitting at least ten dual phaser turrets became standard, with most having twenty. As the years passed the design proved timeless and durable, and so rather than develop a replacement design, the Regula-class found itself subjected to upgrades whenever the resources became available.

Present estimates suggest that there are over one thousand five hundred Regula-class outposts in operation, at least three hundred of which are civilian-operated. Such a high number comes from their frequent use as border monitoring outposts as well as control facilities for networks of deep space satellites and subspace amplifiers.

~ Federation Colonial Peacekeepers ~

The Federation Colonial Peacekeepers represent the surface warfare department of the Federation's combined armed forces. Tasked with civil defence of planets, dealing with any emergencies which may arise, and being deployed to foreign locations for armed conflict, the FCP is a highly trained, well equipped and highly mobile force which relies heavily on Starfleet for interstellar deployment duties. They have access to light arms, ground armour and some small-scale space-borne vessels.

Colonial Peacekeepers are based in San Angeles, located some fifteen miles away from Starfleet Command. Their headquarters comprise of numerous administrative buildings and office blocks, along with a variety of advanced training facilities and a large barracks, where a significant number of personnel are based. Unlike Starfleet Command, scientific personnel are not common, and laboratories tend to be limited in function to weapons development and computer technologies. Also unlike Starfleet Command, FCP officers do not tend to act as diplomats or representatives of the Federation, and are exclusively tasked with military and emergency service duties. Civilians are only permitted entrance to FCP Headquarters when they are employed there, and even then are only granted limited security clearance. The FCP does not have the same level political sway nor significant funding as Starfleet Command, often being seen as a 'secondary agency' by many, which has caused some friction in the past.

The Federation Colonial Peacekeepers were originally formed in the early days of the Federation when newer colonies were being settled, and the Federation Council saw a need to have a force that could be rapidly deployed to any member world to enforce law and order or to provide relief in the event of an emergency. During these times it was more of a militia than an organised military force, and was mainly tasked with subduing rising crime levels on distant border worlds. Eventually the Federation Council saw the need for form a dedicated army, appropriately trained and supplied to allow them to defend Federation worlds from foreign attack and to be deployed abroad where necessary to further Federation interests. It was only then that the FCP became organised into a form similar to that it has today. Further funding has since allowed the FCP to develop and deploy advanced ground armour, light air and spacecraft support, and more sophisticated body armour and light arms systems.

In terms of command structure, the Federation President is the Commander in Chief, with the General of the Peacekeepers being the highest-ranking officer, whom is appointed by and reports directed to the President. Beneath the General of the Peacekeepers are heads of department, Generals or Lieutenant Generals assigned to specific agencies within the FCP such as Strategic Operations, Logistics or Infantry Forces.



~ FCP Rank Structure ~

The FCP employs a rank structure which, as well as allowing for some degree of organisation within the overall hierarchy, allows for easy identification of the position a particular individual holds at a glance. The FCP's rank structure has ancient origins, with some believing it to be identical to an ancient nationstate on Old Earth known as United Americana.

Below is the official FCP rank structure as of 816 A.F.

General Officers

General officers are the highest ranked commissioned officers in the Colonial Peacekeepers, typically given command of large swathes of personnel such as entire corps. There are numerous paths to becoming a general officer, with the most common being the attendance of UFIP FCP Academy and many years of subsequent experience. Field officers may be given temporary promotion to general officer status if they are appointed to a role which requires such a rank.
General of the Peacekeepers

A five star general, the General of the Peacekeepers is the highest rank possible to achieve within the FCP, and is typically appointed by the Federation President from available four star generals. The General of the Peacekeepers is the overall commander of the entire FCP, and reports directly to the President. Only one officer can hold this rank at any one time.

General

Four star Generals are high-ranking military officers, and it is often considered to be the highest achievable rank possible for most officers. Typically, an officer is only awarded four stars if he is appointed to a position that requires such a rank, and the tour of service is limited to only five years. At present, the Federation imposes a cap on the number of four star Generals that may be in active service at any one time, with the present limit being seven hundred and five. Generals are nominated for appointment by the President, although the final decision rests with the FCP.

Lieutenant General

Lieutenant Generals are three star generals, typically given command of large corps consisting of upwards of 50,000 personnel or large mechanised divisions. Like four star Generals, their tour of service as a Lieutenant General is typically limited to five years, and a cap of seven hundred and five is imposed on the number of Lieutenant Generals that may be in service at any one time.

Major General

Subordinate to Lieutenant Generals and superior to Brigadier Generals, two star Major Generals are moderate ranking Generals who are usually given command of strategic facilities or divisions of soldiers.

Brigadier General

The lowest general officer rank available, single star Brigadier Generals are the most common of all general officers, and are often given command of entire regiments or small facilities.


Field Officers

Field officers are, as their name suggests, high ranking officers typically deployed to command positions in the field, often taking command of battalions.
Colonel

The highest ranking field officer, Colonels are subordinate to general officers and are often given command of infantry battalions. Colonels in special forces units sometimes lead small squads on strategically valuable missions.

Lieutenant Colonel

Directly responsible to Colonels, Lieutenant Colonels often serve as executive officers to regiments or battalions, with more experienced Lieutenant Colonels sometimes being given their own commands.

Major

Majors are often appointed executive officers in battalions, or given command of companies, being equivalent in rank to Lieutenant Commanders in Starfleet. They may also take command of small infantry platoon during particularly important missions.

Captain

Lower ranking field officers, Captains usually take command of company-sized units, when they are sometimes also referred to as Company Commanders. They may also undertake training duties at FCP academies, or serve as staff officers at a brigade level. Captain is the entry-level rank for doctors entering the services in medical units.

Lieutenant

Some fifty years ago the FCP merged the two ranks of 1st and 2nd Lieutenant into a single Lieutenant rank, which represents the lowest rank of all field officers. They often take command of platoons or even companies on rare occasions, dependant upon experience, and sometimes serve as the executive officer on a company level.



Warrant Officers

Warrant Officers are non-commissioned officers with a particular speciality in one or more field, such as field engineers. Although non-commissioned, they are higher-ranking than all other enlisted personnel and generally regarded as 'honorary officers' by most. There are five grades of Warrant Officer, each with increasing levels of responsibility. Warrant Officers with sufficient experience may be promoted to field officers eventually without the need to attend an academy.



Enlisted Personnel



~ Federation Ground Vehicles ~

While infantry are a significant portion of the Colonial Peacekeepers' resource, they also employ a large selection of ground vehicles to support them in their roles. Tasked with engaging enemy armour, transporting troops where transporters or shuttles are unavailable, protecting infantry or simply providing mobile command centres, Federation ground vehicles tend to be highly advanced and flexible in nature.



Vanguard-class Phaser Tank

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Type: Main Battle Tank
Length: 17 metres
Mass: 116 metric tons
Hull: Duranium hull plating over duranium-tritanium chassis, single layer ablative armour shell
Power plant: 1x Version 2a microfusion reactor
Maximum speed: 235 kph
Crew complement: 1x Commander, 1x Pilot, 1x Gunner, 1x Engineer
Phasers: 2x type IV dual phaser emplacements (total power output 2.2 terawatts)
Torpedoes: 1x Mk 2 photon micro-torpedo launcher
Deflector shields: FSQ-2 micro regenerative deflector shield grid and force field control system (107.1 petawatt capacity)

With the ageing Guardian-class phaser tank having been in active service for almost five decades, in 316 A.F. the Colonial Peacekeepers petitioned the Federation Council for a procurement funding increase so that they might commission the design and production of a replacement. Dubbed the Vanguard Project, the task was to develop ground armour that was more heavily armed, more survivable and faster than the previous Guardian-class, without losing out on its economical and reliable operations.

Numerous designs were submitted by the Advanced Vehicular Design Bureau before the FCP finally settled on the Vanguard, with only minor changes required to its initial design. Promptly numerous testing prototypes were constructed along the design specifications so that the FCP could put them into field testing scenarios to gauge their effectiveness. While they were impressed, several systems showed signs of being somewhat unreliable when put to use - the revolutionary micro torpedo launcher, developed specifically for the Vanguard, had a habit of jamming. Additionally, the new miniaturised version of the sophisticated FSQ-2 regenerative deflector system (the main technology for which made its debut on the large Excelsior-class starship), appeared to be overpowered for its size, and continually fried the main generator. The design team at AVDB immediately recommended a completely renovated deflector grid for the Vanguard, with a much higher capacity rating, and redesigned the loading and firing mechanisms of the micro torpedo launcher. These changes, although requiring slightly more resources, saw the Vanguard achieve the level of reliability that the FCP desired, and the model was immediately put into production.

Designed to survive several times more firepower than it is capable of generating itself, the Vanguard-class is extremely durable, emphasising the high value that the Federation places on their personnel. A new micro deflector shield grid was developed for the Vanguard based off the successful FSQ-2 regenerative shields utilised by the Excelsior-class starship, which allow it to absorb significant enemy fire. Should the shields succumb, enemy fire will be met by a thick, hardened duranium hull layered over duranium-tritanium, all of which is protected by a single layer of ablative armour. Its life support system is completely self-contained, allowing it to protect its crew from chemical, biological and radioactive attacks even when main shields fail, and a portable replicator allows the crew to survive any siege attempt for as long as the vehicle has power. Atop the hull is the Vanguard's main weapon - a large, 360-degree rotation turret, which sports two of the same type IV phaser emplacements as the Type 2 shuttlecraft, allowing it to deliver 2.2 terawatts of rapid phaser fire. Along with this is a revolutionary multi-directional micro photon torpedo launcher, for which it carries a complement of ten micro photon torpedoes, allowing it to defend itself against airborne attacks, or to assault heavily fortified ground installations. Unlike the significantly more powerful standard photon torpedoes utilised by starships, these torpedoes are incapable of achieving warp velocities, though their homing capabilities are improved.

The Vanguard is powered by a newly-designed version 2a microfusion reactor, which has sufficient fuel to operate for an estimated twelve days of non-stop combat operations before resupply is required. This provides energy to all systems including four anti-gravity field generators, which can propel the heavy tank along most types of terrain at up to 235 kilometres per hour at a variable altitude of between thirty centimetres and seven metres, with a surprising degree of agility. Although not equipped with mainstream transporter technology, an emergency beam-out option is available to the crew in the event of critical damage. Its computers, running on the highly successful LCARS build 1.2 operating system, can store up to fifty kiloquads of data and have access to sensors with a 700 kilometre scanning radius.

Presently, the Colonial Peacekeepers operate some 14,000 Vanguard-class phaser tanks, and for the time being all production orders have been satisfied.



~ Federation Small Arms ~

Whether it is for personal defence, boarding operations or ground assaults, all Federation Colonial Peacekeepers are issued with a phaser rifle and sidearm as standard equipment. Both phaser rifles and phaser pistols are also used by Starfleet personnel, though pistols tend to be preferred aboard starships for their compact size. Different phaser models are designated by types, ranging from the diminutive Type 1 snub phaser to the immensely destructive Type 8 phaser banks mounted aboard Excelsior-class starships.

Phasers are advanced particle weapons, emitting an exotic nadion particle stream at lightspeed. At low levels, handheld phasers can induce a stun effect on their target, overloading the central nervous system of the victim and rendering them unconscious for varying degrees of time. When set to medium power levels phasers become lethal weapons, capable of destroying rock, piercing shields and body armour, and inflicting lethal wounds on their targets. At their most powerful settings they are capable of inflicting a disruptive chain reaction which disrupts the sub-atomic bonds of their targets and physically displaces matter from this space-time continuum, commonly known as 'vapourisation' due to the appearance.

Due to their ability to penetrate even the densest metals at high power settings, the use of phasers above their stun setting without authorisation is restricted aboard starships, and attempting to do so will trigger an immediate security alarm.



Type 2 Mark 4 Assault Phaser Pistol

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Type: Type 2 Phaser Pistol
Revision: Mark 4
Length: 213mm
Weight: 767g
Power Pack: Rated for 150 two-second discharges at medium power
Settings: Three; stun, kill, disintegrate

The Type 2, Mark 4 Assault Phaser Pistol is the standard-issue sidearm to both Federation Colonial Peacekeepers and Starfleet personnel. Developed five years ago as a replacement for the Mark 3 pistol, the Mark 4 represents a step forwards in reliability, power conservation and destructive potential.

With a grip-mounted, magazine-format power cell capable of delivering roughly one hundred and fifty two-second discharges on the medium power setting, the Mark 4 allows officers and soldiers to engage enemies for greater periods of time without reloading than ever before. This saw the Mark 4 quickly becoming a firm favourite of personnel across all of the Federation's defensive and policing departments, and its proliferation was so rapid that the Mark 3 is now difficult to find. When fired at its highest setting, the Mark 4 needs only cool down for ten seconds, a significant reduction over the previous model. As with most phaser weapons, the pistol can be attenuated to fire either a narrow or a wide beam, giving the user the ability to fire upon multiple targets standing in close proximity. Although the weapon has a more limited range and power when fired in wide-beam mode, the tactical advantages it affords the wielder in close quarters are innumerable.

The pistol grip possesses rubberised protrusions to improve both the comfort and firm grasp of the user. On the top, a series of simple red lights indicates the charge present in the power pack and flashes when a reload is necessary, while behind that is a selector switch to alter the weapon's power setting. Mark 4 pistols are made from more resilient materials than previous pistols and the outer shell is more capable of protecting the internal systems of the weapon - the Mark 4 can be dropped in water, mud or sand and will still fire normally when retrieved, and can operate in extreme temperatures, with or without atmosphere. Despite this, technicians are afforded easy access to the phaser's components, allowing quick and efficient battlefield maintenance and repairs.

Aftermarket modifications include an optional tactical scope for increased accuracy, as well as a removable stock and barrel add-on to convert the pistol into a Type 3 rifle.

The pistol, like most phaser weapons produced by the Federation, possesses an overload option, which shunts all available power into the prefire chamber before exploding violently. This is designed as an emergency option, allowing the pistol to be used as a makeshift bomb or to simply ensure that its technology doesn't fall into the wrong hands.



Type 3 Mark 2 Phaser Rifle

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Type: Type 3 Phaser Rifle
Revision: Mark 2
Length: 806mm
Weight: 1,922g
Power Pack: Rated for 1,000 two-second discharges at medium power
Settings: Sixteen

Essentially, the Type 3, Mark 2 Phaser Rifle was built around the Type 2, Mark 4 Assault Phaser Pistol, and was released simultaneously with its smaller cousin. While sharing the same mechanisms as the Assault Pistol, the Mark 2 rifle has significant improvements which give it viability as a standard-issue assault rifle.

With its lengthened barrel containing a vastly superior emitter matrix, the Mark 2 is capable of producing more focused, more powerful phaser beams with greater accuracy. These more powerful discharges create moderate recoil, and for that reason a stock is fitted as standard. A removable tactical scope is mounted atop the rifle on standard Federation equipment rails, which incorporates automated targeting systems capable of identifying and then automatically eliminating multiple enemy targets with a rapid series of computer-guided shots. This scope provides some information to the user about local atmospheric conditions, as well as determine the composition of the matter being targeted and advice on the power setting that would be necessary to destroy it. It also serves more conventional functions, such as offering a 10x zoom and a traditional targeting reticule for manual firing.

The expanded power pack of the rifle has been modified to support its more potent shots and allows for one thousand, two-second discharges to be made before a replacement is required, giving the Mark 2 the ability to remain operational throughout lengthy engagements. As with the Mark 4 pistol, the rifle is exceptionally durable, easy to maintain and possesses a wide-beam mode and the option to overload the power pack.

Owing to its modular nature, the Type 3, Mark 2 phaser rifle can be dismantled for storage or transport. They are shipped in foam-packed cases as standard.



OOC stuff: Unlike the Federation seen onscreen, UFIP has a large, advanced and competent ground force. Infantry are equipped with full body armour and personal shielding, and they have heavy armour at their disposal. Starship security forces are also armoured, but not equipped with personal shielding.

OOC: I get the feeling that I'm going to need to reserve another post at this rate. So, here it is.